- Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth: Incumbent Mayor Jean Stothert highlights her administration's success in increasing Omaha's cash reserves by over $50 million while consistently ending fiscal years with budget surpluses and maintaining high bond ratings.
- Urban Development Focus: Stothert's campaign emphasizes urban development, job creation, and making Omaha an attractive city for young professionals by ensuring a safe, clean environment, affordable housing, and accessible public transportation.
- Positive Momentum and Recognition: She notes that Omaha has gained national recognition, being ranked by Forbes as the #1 city in the country to move to, based on affordability, safety, and job opportunities, and aims to continue this positive momentum.
As city elections approach, KMTV is taking the time to talk to each of the mayoral candidates. Incumbent Mayor Jean Stothert she tells KMTV she wants to keep Omaha moving forward
Mayor Stothert highlights her economic track record as mayor over 12 years, emphasizing the growth of the city's cash reserve, increasing it by more than 50 million dollars... and her ability to end fiscal years with a budget surplus, ensuring fiscal responsibility while planning for various city development initiatives.
"We have very, very high bond ratings that show strong fiscal management for the city of Omaha. Every budget, including the 26 budget that I'm doing now, I look at ways to fund every department the way they need to be funded and keep in mind Over 24, 25, and 26, I will have given the Omaha Police Department 21 million in raises, but I'm doing all these things and still trying to manage the revenues we get and lower tax levy every time I possibly can," said Mayor Stothert.
She says this time around, urban development, increasing jobs and residents in downtown and midtown Omaha, while maintaining a safe and appealing environment for businesses and young professionals, are the defining characteristics of her campaign.
"My job as mayor is to make the city the kind of city businesses want to be and the kind of city that young professionals wanna come to stay to, and stay after they graduate from college, and so we. We want a safe city. We want a clean city, you know, we want a public transportation. We want walkability. We want affordable housing. We want urban living. All of those things that we need to make the city the type of city businesses want to come to. That's what I'm doing," Stothert said.
She told KMTV another four years as mayor would mean continuing her momentum, ensuring that Omaha continues to thrive and adapt to the evolving needs of its residents.
"People are looking at Omaha all over the country, saying What does Omaha have? and you know. It's, it's when we were ranked by Forbes last year as the#1 city in the country to move to. It's on three issues. It was on affordability, it was on safety, and it was on jobs. I mean, the#1, 100 out of 100, and so we keep that momentum going," said Stothert.
KMTV asked Stothert about police staffing challenges. She mentioned a substantial budget increase for the police department and salaries raised from $54,000 a year to $72,000 a year to attract more applicants, alongside innovative hiring practices.
"This new plan will really help, plus we're gonna take year-round applications. We're gonna do more testing, if they want to come and work from Omaha and they don't live here and they need employment until the next class starts, we will go ahead and employ them like on the phones and so that they will, they're not be acting as officers, but they will be employed, so they won't say, well, I need a job. And maybe you know another agency is gonna start their class sooner than Omaha, so I'll pick the other one now, they know when the class will start and we will pay them to stay here," Stothert said.
Stothert told me her experience as a nurse, on the Millard school board, and serving on the Omaha city council has shaped who she is as mayor, and that everyday she learns how to serve the community better.
